“The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”

This verse will hold a lot of meaning from now on. It was sung as a hymn at my grandma’s funeral, it is set in stone at my grandma’s resting place. Mum told me when grandma was in the hospital, one day out of the blue, she just started reciting this verse.

I told my cousin that a part of me felt a little angry because she didn’t wait for me to come home to see her in her final moments, but my cousin told me something else that made me ashamed of ever feeling that way. She was suffering and perhaps death was the only way God could release her from that.

The only comforting thought was that she held my letter to her as her body was cremated – that she took a part of me with her. Yes, like I told Leonard, when someone you know dies, it’s like a part of you dies as well.

Her final resting place is at St. Francis Xavier church together with my great great grandma, great grandparents (grandma’s parents), and my grandaunt (grandma’s oldest sister).

The tape is there to secure the stone since they just sealed it. Her photo will only be put on later. The beads on the mini rosary are red, my grandma’s favourite colour.

Great great grandma, great grandpa, great grandma, grandaunt. Photos are of my great grandparents. So, now I know which side of the family was peranakan. I think my great grandpa is handsome.